Info about Petsmart and Nutrical
 

The other night a new poster asked about Nutrical. She said she had been to Petsmart and was told that she had to get it from a vet. I had bought some just the week before without a problem.

Today, I was in Petsmart again. This time, there was no Nutrical on the shelves. I asked my friend who works there and he said that Petsmart has decided not to carry it any more. Instead, they are carrying GNC brand. It's called GNC Ultra Mega High Calorie Booster and is located in the supplement aisle. It looks like this:

Thanks for the info!!! i normally get mine from Petco.... do u know for how long do i have to give me baby this supplement?

Thanks!

I ordered mine off the net, can't remember what website but it was a little cheaper than the store. My vet also carries it.

Wow I called PetSmart and asked if they carried it and they apparently lied to me and told me that GNC bought out the Nutrical product and that they do carry the GNC kind. Ha! What a joke! They flat out lied to me! No wonder I'm seeing it everywhere other than PetSmart!

Petco still has it but its in an orange tube now not white like it used to be.

The GNC brand is NOT the same as Nutracal. When I was going to bring Mina home I read the label of the GNC brand and it didnt sound very healthy to me. I asked at the Banfield desk and was able to purchase the Nutracal from them.

That's odd. I wonder why it's harder to find now? We had it when Bentley was very young, he had hypoglycemia that caused a seizure because he refused to eat the food we gave him. He's always been a difficult dog to get to eat. He'll eat human food no problem but if it's formulated for dogs, he generally hates it. Luckily he doesn't get hypoglycemia anymore since he's grown up but in case he needed it I wanted to find it in stores. Thanks for letting me know that it's available in petsmart AT banfield. Petsmart is closest to us but luckily I haven't needed it. I was trying to get Bentley to eat his food that we just switched to since he is a poor eater. He has a poor appetite most of the time (except when it comes to some dog treats which dad was feeding a lot of during the evening, daily.).. Since we basically stopped that we have had some luck getting him to eat at least 1/2 of what he is supposed to eat daily of kibble. Some days more, some days less. He could stand to lose a little weight though. I'll get him into the vet to be weighed in about a week when my parents get back from vacation. So hopefully he maintains weight with what he is eating so I don't have to obsess about him eating enough. I"ve been using Nupro supplement powder in his food (making a gravy out of it and coating all the kibble in it).. He likes it much better that way. So I don't think I need to buy nutrical since he's eating some.

The main ingredient of Nutri-cal and the actual ingredient that helps is corn syrup. Corn syrup is sugar that is made from corn. The reason it’s used is because it gets into the blood stream faster than other types of sugar. While Nutri-cal has a few vitamins thrown in, they do nothing to help with hypoglycemia and are more for consumers who want to give their dogs something nutritious, so it “sounds” better. Products like nutri-cal are great if your dog is prone to hypoglycemia, but shouldn't be overused. Most dogs will never need it. The GNC Ultra Mega High Calorie Booster has a more honest name, and its main ingrediant is corn syrup, but it would probably be much cheaper to just use plain old Karo's white corn syrup and rub a little bit on the gums or roof of the moth. By the way, reviews of the chicken flavor GNC Ultra Mega High Calorie Booster were not good, everyone that I read, said that their dogs hated it. Do not give any of these products to your dogs just for the heck of it, it's for treating hypoglycemia and because hypoglycemic dogs often lose their appetite, a little sugar or corn syrpu can stimulate the appetite and cause the dogs to eat.

I wanted to get NutriCal for Sam's homecoming trip kit. I also did some checking on the GNC stuff that PetSmart sells. There were some truly horrendous reviews on it. I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole!

I called my vet's office, which is just 4 miles from my house, and was able to pick up a tube of NutriCal on my way to the breeder's house. I still give it to him before I leave in the morning, because I know his bowl will still be at least half full when I get home.

My vet always had me use local honey or Karo syrup, said Nutrical was just more expensive.

I didnt like the Nutrical I always use Karo syrup. She doesnt need it now but I always keep some in her bag just in case. I still have a full tube of Nutrical if someone wants it. Just PM me and I will be more then willing to send it to you.

I would be cautious about doing this. Giving pure carbs such as sugar causes the body to produce insulin and if the carbs are not quickly followed by protein, it can induce hypoglycemia, not prevent. Just a heads-up.;)

Yes, while sugar can stimulate the appetite, it can also fill them up enough that they don't want the food, and like you say, if no protein is followed, it can induce hypoglycemia. It's kind of like giving a kid a candy bar for breakfast.

I don't give him much, maybe a pea size dollop on my finger, hoping to stimulate his appetite. Guess I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't with the little heathen. It's a good thing I love him so much already, LOL!

:thumbup: When Callie was having her hypo issues the vet told me it was very important to get some food in her after getting her sugar up.

These are the two things I always have on hand for puppies or dogs needing to put on weight. One is called MEG-A-CAL and is in a 32 oz. bottle with pump. Here is a run down on the ingredients in both the MEG-A-CALL and the NUTRI-CAL for puppies. May be a good compairison chart .

INGREDIENTS IN THE MEG-A-CAL:
Sorbitol, Soy Bean Oil, Cod Liver Oil, Salmon Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Water, Magnesium, Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin E (DL-Alpha Tocopheryl), Ferrous Fumerate, Sodium Benzoate, Niacinamide, Thiamine (Vitamin B-1), D-Panothenic Acid, Pyridoxine (Vitamin B-6), Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2), Folic Acid, Calcium Gluconate, Potassium Chloride, Flavor, Gum.

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS PER TEASPOON:
Crude Protein (min)...........................0.7%
Crude Fan (min)..............................34.5%
Crude Fiber (max).............................3.8%
Moisture (max).................................14.%
Calcium (miin)................(0.0026%) 0.16MG
Calcium (max)................(0.0033%) 0.20MG
Phosphorus (min)............(0.0006%) 0.03MG
Iron (min)......................(0.0088%) 0.53MG
Iodine (min)...................(0.0088%) 0.53MG
Magnesium (min).............(0.0067%) 0.42MG
Maganese (min)..................(0.0167%) 1MG
Potassium (min)..............(0.0027%) 0.16MG
Vitamin A (min)..............................1045IU
Vitamin D3 (min)................................60IU
Vitamin E (min)...................................6IU
Vitamin B1 (thiamine).......................1.8MG
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)......................0.2MG
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine).....................0.8MG
Vitamin B12(min...............................2MCG
Folic Acid (min)...............................0.2MG
Niacinamide (min)...............................2MG
D-Pantothenic Acid (min).....................1MG
Linoleic Acid (LA) (min).....................990MG
Eicosapentaenoic Acid (min)................32MG
Docosahexaenoic Acid (min)................21MG
Calorie Content..........................27 cal/TSP


INGREDIENTS IN THE PUPPY NUTRI-CAL:



INGREDIENTS:
Corn syrup, soybean oil (source of LA and ALA), malt syrup, cod liver oil (source of EPA and DHA), cane molasses, methylcelloulose, water, gelatin by-products, dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate, (vitamin E supplement), sodium benzoate (preservative), manganese sulfate, ferric ammonium citrate, thiamine hydrochloride, niacin, calcium pantothenate (source of calcium and pantothenic acid), magnesium sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride vitamin A palmitate & D supplement, potassium iodide (source of iodine and potassium), riboflavin 5-phosphate sodium (source of vitamin B2 and phosphorus), folic acid and cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12).

Crude protein (min)...................................(0.68%) 40.80MG
Crude fat (min).....................................(28.14%) 1688.40MG
Moisture (max)......................................(14.21% ) 852.60MG
Ash (max)............................................. ...(0.50%) 30.00MG
Calcium .................................................( 0.0026%) 0.16MG
Phosphorus........................................ .....(0.0003%) 0.02MG
Potassium......................................... ......(0.0025%) 0.15MG
Sodium............................................ .......(0.0168%) 1.01MG
Chloride.......................................... ........(0.0055%) 0.33MG
Magnesium......................................... .....(0.0158%) 95MG
Iodine............................................ ........(o.0080%) 48MG
Vitamin A................................................. ...............734IU
Vitamin D................................................. .................55IU
Vitamin E................................................. ...................5IU
Vitamin B1 (thiamine)........................................ .......1.52MG
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)...................................... .......0.011MG
Pantothenic acid.............................................. .......1.74MG
Niacin............................................ .......................1.90MG
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)...................................... ......0.73MG
Folic Acid.............................................. ................0.19MG
Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin).................................. .1.83MG
Also includes linoleic, linoleric, eicosapentanoic acid,docosahexanoic acid and omega-6 & omega 3 fatty acids

Crude Fat (NOT Crude Fan)

I'm not sure if people really understand how to read these properly, the first product is mainly oil, and yes it has calories, and might put weight on a dog, but it would not be used to treat hypoglycemia because it has no corn syrup or sugar. The second product acts like it has something besides sugar that's beneficial, but the amount of other ingredients is so small, that I don't believe that they are really useful. Both products contain less than .1% of protein. I can see where it product would have its place, for example, the first product might be used to keep weight on a male dog who’s around females in heat, and the second, is useful for treating hypoglycemia, but not for preventing it. If your dog is eating a balanced dog food he doesn't need the vitamins in these food, and excessive vitamins aren't good either.

Well NUTRI-CAL is the #1 most recommended vitamin for puppies to keep them from having a drop in sugar levels. I used it with all four of mine when I got them. My last little girl was so thin and was not a good eater at all, and would lose a few ounces, then gain one or two, then lose one or two and so on to the point that the Vet. would not spay her, and said she really needed to get weight on her, and that after that, I should take her to Ventura at the hospital there where they are set up to take care of the tiny ones. I was then told about the MEGA-CAL. (She had already been on NUTRI-CAL for a few months). She did so well on it and she started eating really well and gaining a little weight. She's only 3lb.8oz at 18 months, and just finished her first heat cycle, so now I know she's healthy enough for a spay, so I will take her for evaluation in Ventura and set her up for her spay.
I was only giving information on both these good products. As you can see I cared enough to help people compaire these products by spending a lot of time typing them out. I'm sorry you don't feel these products stand up to your high expections, or feel people won't know how to understand the ingredients. Let them decided. Let them print it out and ask questions to the Vets. or go talk to the experts who have been showing/breeding for years, who do know.

I thought you just cut and pasted the ingredients, I didn’t know you typed them out. It isn’t that they don’t meet my high expectations, I wanted to be sure people understood, what they were saying. Did I say anything untruthful or misleading? You had explained they could be useful, I'm not arguing that point. However, it just seems like a lot of young girls know how to read the ingredients and understand what they mean. I think both of these products have a place and can be useful, butI don’t wish for people to overuse them or take shortcuts. It sounds like you feel the same way? As long as you use it the way your vet or breeder told you to use it, that’s assuming a breeder is indeed knowledgeable and experienced, I don’t have a problem with it. I think these things have a place; I do believe that many pet owners overuse them and they believe that they are more nutritious than just sugar or fat. I’m just giving them another piece of knowledge, so that they can “make up the own minds” and not be unduly influenced by a website that tells them they must give their new puppy Nutri-cal. I didn't feel like you post was uniformative, I thought it was very informative, I just felt the need to add a little more information. I really think we're both on the same page with this.

It's petsmart for you.

When I was looking for a specific puppy formula when raised my baby squirrel... They tried to get me to buy gnc brand. They probably have a contract with them.